EDUCAUSE | Financial Management

Latest Core Data Service Report on Campus IT Environments Released

cluckett — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:13:51 -0500

EDUCAUSE has released the Core Data Service Fiscal Year 2007 Summary Report on campus IT environments, which summarizes data collected for fiscal year 2007 from more than 994 institutions that participated in this year's core data survey. The report presents aggregates of data through more than 100 tables and accompanying descriptive text in five areas relevant to planning and managing IT in higher education: IT Organization, Staffing, and Planning; IT Financing and Management; Faculty and Student Computing; Networking and Security; and Information Systems. Learn more about the Core Data Service.

EDUCAUSE Core Data Service 2007 Summary Report

ckeller — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:11:03 -0500

EDUCAUSE Core Data Service Fiscal Year 2007 Summary Report summarizes much of the data collected through the 2007 EDUCAUSE core data survey about campus information technology (IT) environments at 994 colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. The report presents aggregates of data through more than 100 tables and accompanying descriptive text in five areas relevant to planning and managing IT in higher education: IT Organization, Staffing, and Planning; IT Financing and Management; Faculty and Student Computing; Networking and Security; and Information Systems. Appendices include a brief historical context, a list of participating campuses, the 2006 survey instrument, a glossary of terms from the survey, and Carnegie classification definitions.

Queensland University of Technology: Three Generations of IT Governance (and Counting)

ckeller — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:18:43 -0500

This ECAR case study complements the 2008 ECAR study, Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education, by Ronald Yanosky with Jack McCredie. ECAR undertook this case study of Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to demonstrate how the underlying elements of a mature governance process facilitate the strategic development of information technology (IT) services. QUT has carried on a sustained program of IT governance development for almost a decade, in order to create a mature set of institutional supports, a layered advisory and decision-making structure that feeds innovation, and a network of involved governance participants, with the ultimate goal of developing a set of optimal IT services for the university. Characterized as "relationships underpinned by light-weight process frameworks in order to extract value from technology tools," QUT's IT governance structure relies on engaged people who drive the process as well as the project management and financial tools that assist with decision making.

Citation for this work: Pirani, Judith A., and Gail Salaway. "Queensland University of Technology: Three Generations of IT Governance (and Counting)" (Case Study 4). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

Reforming IT Governance at Berkeley: Introducing an Enterprise Perspective to a Decentralized Organization

ckeller — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:07:47 -0500

This ECAR case study complements the 2008 ECAR study, Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education, by Ronald Yanosky with Jack McCredie. ECAR undertook this case study of the University of California Berkeley to demonstrate how a large, decentralized research university approaches a complete rethinking of a campus information technology (IT) governance structure and the steps taken to initiate the transition to the new structure.

Citation for this work: Spicer, Donald Z., and Judith A. Pirani. "Reforming IT Governance at Berkeley: Introducing an Enterprise Perspective to a Decentralized Organization" (Case Study 3). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education - Corporate Edition

ckeller — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:44:58 -0500

This 2008 ECAR research study examines the extent of participation in IT governance by campus leaders and constituents; the use of IT governance mechanisms such as IT steering committees, project review, and performance measurement; and practices associated with good IT governance outcomes. The report is based on a literature review, consultation with practicing CIOs experienced in IT governance, and a web-based survey that was distributed to institutional representatives (mostly senior IT leaders) at 1,648 EDUCAUSE member institutions in June and July 2007. We received 438 responses (a 26.6 percent response rate to the survey). In addition, we received 216 responses from 59 institutions to a quantitative web-based survey for participants in IT governance who work outside of central IT. In addition to reporting the findings from these quantitative tools, this study includes feedback from interviews with 28 senior IT leaders from a mix of institutions. The interviews were designed to gain deeper insights into findings from the quantitative analysis and to capture additional ideas and viewpoints. A non-profit edition is available here.

Citation for this work: Yanosky, Ronald, with Jack McCredie. Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education (Research Study 5). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar .

Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education

ckeller — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:34:16 -0500

Citation for this work: Yanosky, Ronald, with Jack McCredie. Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education (Research Study 5). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar .

Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education Roadmap

ckeller — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:45:47 -0500

This ECAR roadmap synthesizes the important issues and recommended actions drawn from the 2008 ECAR research study, Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education, byRonald Yanosky with John W. McCredie. The research study examines the extent of participation in IT governance by campus leaders and constituents; the use of IT governance mechanisms such as IT steering committees, project review, and performance measurement; and practices associated with good IT governance outcomes. The report is based on a literature review, consultation with practicing CIOs experienced in IT governance, and a web-based survey that was distributed to institutional representatives (mostly senior IT leaders) at 1,648 EDUCAUSE member institutions in June and July 2007. We received 438 responses (a 26.6 percent response rate to the survey). In addition, we received 216 responses from 59 institutions to a quantitative web-based survey for participants in IT governance who work outside of central IT. In addition to reporting the findings from these quantitative tools, this study includes feedback from interviews with 28 senior IT leaders from a mix of institutions. The interviews were designed to gain deeper insights into findings from the quantitative analysis and to capture additional ideas and viewpoints.

Citation for this work: Pirani, Judith A., and Ronald Yanosky, “Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education Roadmap” (Roadmap). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2005, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education – Key Findings

ckeller — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:38:26 -0500

This document presents the key findings of the ECAR study,Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education.This 2008 ECAR research study examines the extent of participation in IT governance by campus leaders and constituents; the use of IT governance mechanisms such as IT steering committees, project review, and performance measurement; and practices associated with good IT governance outcomes. The report is based on a literature review, consultation with practicing CIOs experienced in IT governance, and a web-based survey that was distributed to institutional representatives (mostly senior IT leaders) at 1,648 EDUCAUSE member institutions in June and July 2007. We received 438 responses (a 26.6 percent response rate to the survey). In addition, we received 216 responses from 59 institutions to a quantitative web-based survey for participants in IT governance who work outside of central IT. In addition to reporting the findings from these quantitative tools, this study includes feedback from interviews with 28 senior IT leaders from a mix of institutions. The interviews were designed to gain deeper insights into findings from the quantitative analysis and to capture additional ideas and viewpoints.

Citation for this work: Caruso, Judith Borreson, and Ronald Yanosky. “Process and Politics: IT Governance in Higher Education” (Key Findings). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar.

Enterprise Architecture: Partnering, Procurement, and Persuasion

drupal — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:29:58 -0500

Enterprise architecture can't succeed unless it leverages change across silos, systems, and time. Without direct authority or resources, what are the tools of architecture? This presentation will review how Saint Louis University advanced its architectural vision in the first year, returning value and hard-dollar savings while setting the stage for the future.

Bringing Advancement Strategy to Life

drupal — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:29:53 -0500

University costs continue to increase while state funding is being reduced. Many universities are pursuing strategies in advancement to remain competitive. But most universities' technology, processes, policies, and organization structure is not designed to enable these complex, cross-functional strategies. See how one large, complex university tackled this problem.

Finding the Economic Green in Green Computing

elilly — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:45:00 -0600

Some simple fixes in the data center can add hard cash to an enterprise's bottom line.

Top 12 Green-IT Users: No. 1 Highmark Inc.

ckeller — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 10:16:18 -0600

From cars to condos, "green" is all the rage these days — and IT is no exception. Eco-friendly computing promises the twin win of saving money and the environment. In this groundbreaking awards program, Computerworld honors 12 user companies and another dozen vendors that are leading the way.

Sustainable Computing: It's Not Easy Being Green

ckeller — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 09:41:01 -0600

"CIO William Hill had an admirable, if unanticipated, return on investment when he overhauled the IT infrastructure for Dayton, Ohio: He helped the environment. Hill's strategy included replacing the old setup -- a disorganized mix of 80 archaic networked terminals and numerous ad hoc PCs of varying ages and operating systems -- with thin clients for 60% of the staff and PCs for the rest, strategically positioned for optimum use. Hill opted for thin clients for technological and cost reasons, but says he saw a corresponding drop in how much energy his organization uses -- a drop that saves the city between $60,000 and $90,000 annually."

Creating and Running a Successful On-Campus Cost-Recovery Technology Solution Department

drupal — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:59:02 -0600

Thinking about implementing a cost-recovery technology solutions group within IT? Running one now and want to improve it? Come hear how Rice University is successfully managing theirs and walk away with specifics on how to run yours. Topics will include staffing, competencies, projects, time, billing, marketing, vendors, students, and success metrics.

What Every Tech Pro Should Know About 'Green Computing'

ckeller — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:07:13 -0600

For most companies, the movement is about saving money, not the environment. But it's getting better at both.

Key Findings for the Fiscal Year 2006 Core Data Service

ckeller — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:04:36 -0600

With data from 960 participating institutions, the EDUCAUSE Core Data Service helps campus planners make informed decisions.

EDUCAUSE Core Data Service 2006 Results

drupal — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:39:01 -0600

This session will summarize the highlights from the 2006 EDUCAUSE Core Data Service survey data. These analyses will identify key findings, important trends, and similarities and differences across different types of institutions. This year more than 940 institutions participated in this collaborative effort. A discussion period will conclude this session to understand concerns and issues from the audience, as well as discussion of future directions.

The 2007 Campus Computing Survey

drupal — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 13:39:00 -0600

Begun in 1990, the Campus Computing Project is the largest continuing study of the role of computing, e-learning, and information technology in American higher education. The session will present the results of the 2007 Campus Computing Survey, including new data on P2P policies, open source deployment, IT security issues, strategic and financial planning for IT, instructional integration of IT, campus IT standards, course management systems, and Web site services.

Technology Spending Survey '08

ckeller — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:13:21 -0600

Inside the minds-and budgets-of chief information officers and IT directors.

ITIL: An Effective Methodology for Managing IT Services

drupal — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:16:36 -0600

ITIL, the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, is a process-based framework for more effectively managing IT services. Although just emergent in higher education, it has been widely adopted in industry. It is surprisingly well-suited to higher education. This session will introduce ITIL and serves as a companion to another session describing Yale's experience implementing ITIL.

Increasing Performance While Decreasing Cost: Converging Communications with VoIP

drupal — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:42:38 -0500

Facing an aging telephone copper plant and rising provider costs, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania implemented a multicampus VoIP system to save more than $1 million over a five-year period while substantially upgrading functionality in the process. This presentation will outline the entire VoIP conversion process, from the planning stages through funding, implementation, and training.

Bruce Schneier on Information Security: Ten Trends - Sponsored by AT&T, An EDUCAUSE Silver Partner

drupal — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:42:34 -0500

Surveying current trends in information security, it’s clear that a myriad of forces are at work. But fundamentally, security is all about economics: both attacker and defender are trying to maximize the return on their investments. Economics can both explain why security fails so often and offer new solutions for its success. For example, often the people who could protect a system are not those who suffer the costs of failure. Changing these economic incentives will do more to improve security than will more technology.

EDUCAUSE Core Data Service: Fiscal Year 2006 Summary Report

ckeller — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 15:27:17 -0500

EDUCAUSE Core Data Service Fiscal Year 2006 Summary Report summarizes much of the data collected through the 2006 EDUCAUSE core data survey about campus information technology (IT) environments at 933 colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. The report presents aggregates of data through more than 100 tables and accompanying descriptive text in five areas relevant to planning and managing IT in higher education: IT Organization, Staffing, and Planning; IT Financing and Management; Faculty and Student Computing; Networking and Security; and Information Systems. Appendices include a brief historical context, a list of participating campuses, the 2006 survey instrument, a glossary of terms from the survey, and Carnegie classification definitions.

The Place of Information Technology in Planning for Innovation

ckeller — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:15:44 -0500

The author discusses the dichotomy between pursuing innovative research and the funding and administration of it.

Winds of Change: Charting the Course for IT in the Twenty-First Century

ckeller — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 11:58:26 -0500

Campus IT leaders are responsible for providing a view of the technology changes that are coming over the horizon and a vision of where the “ship” of IT should be headed. The retiring EDUCAUSE president offers ten nautical maxims for charting this course for higher education IT.

Toward Sustainable Funding for Information Technology Infrastructure

ckeller — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:16:33 -0500

This research bulletin presents a framework for the effective, ongoing, sustainable funding of IT infrastructure in universities and colleges. The framework articulates the composition of IT infrastructure and derives a cost model for provision of infrastructure services. The model is intended to be straightforward, enabling ready adoption, while also providing flexibility so that it can be updated on a periodic basis to reflect changing technological demand and supply conditions.

Preparing the Next IT Leaders: Financial Management

drupal — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:00:01 -0500

The next generation of IT leaders must learn to navigate the complexities of higher education financial planning and negotiation.

Project Portfolios: Managing Executive Attention and Decision Making

drupal — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 10:16:59 -0500

As IT makes up a growing percentage of campus budgets, technology leaders are under increasing pressure to contain costs, align IT projects with institutional mission, and develop strategic management methods for oversight. This seminar will provide a brief review of best practices in project management, including project portfolio management at the institutional level. The focus will be on methods to engage executives, define decision processes, and develop good practices for the selection and sponsorship of projects. The format of this seminar is designed to review a range of concepts and seek practical application.

Save Time, Money, and Energy by Virtualizing Your Environment

drupal — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 09:30:43 -0600

Virtualization is here in a big way. IT departments are constantly being asked to do more with less. With server virtualization your organization will save time, money, space, and energy.

An Integrated Digital Campus Delivers ROI and VOI

drupal — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:53:25 -0600

Integrating our digital campus brought together services, processes, and the campus community while delivering substantial returns and value on our investment.

Online Distance Learning: An Idea for the Times

drupal — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 11:02:17 -0600

A consortium approach extends the benefits of online programs to schools that might otherwise be left out.

EDUCAUSE Core Data Service: Fiscal Year 2005 Summary Report

drupal — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 11:13:53 -0600

EDUCAUSE Core Data Service Fiscal Year 2005 Summary Report summarizes much of the data collected through the 2005 EDUCAUSE core data survey about campus information technology (IT) environments at 933 colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. The report presents aggregates of data through more than 100 tables and accompanying descriptive text in five areas relevant to planning and managing IT in higher education: IT Organization, Staffing, and Planning; IT Financing and Management; Faculty and Student Computing; Networking and Security; and Information Systems. Appendices include a brief historical context, a list of participating campuses, the 2005 survey instrument, a glossary of terms from the survey, and Carnegie classification definitions.

Letting Go of ResNet

drupal — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 15:56:48 -0500

Presenters from three schools, Southwestern University, Ithaca College, and Birmingham-Southern College, will discuss how their ResNets had become a drain on money, staff, and bandwidth. By outsourcing their ResNets, they are able to control the costs of managing a ResNet and to reclaim valuable IT resources.

The Future of Higher Education: A View from CHEMA

drupal — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 10:13:56 -0500

This study, designed and analyzed by ECAR on behalf of the Council of Higher Education Management Associations (CHEMA), identifies the forces of change that are building for higher education and seeks to understand their potential implications. The report adds the voice of higher education's administrative leadership to the dialogue about the future of our institutions. Sponsored by 22 CHEMA member associations, the study examines how administrators and officials engaged in college and university support functions anticipate that higher education will change over the next ten years by identifying the changes, opportunities, and threats these leaders foresee for higher education, for their institutions, and for specific functional areas. In addition, the study discusses how prepared institutions are to manage change and shape their own futures.

Virtualization in the Datacenter

drupal — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:44:01 -0500

Facing data center resource constraints, Bowdoin College leveraged new technology to meet its current and future needs. Last year we consolidated more than 60 servers into 9 VMWare hosts, created an extensive R&D environment, and deployed highly available and resilient academic and administrative systems while saving more than $350,000 in hardware costs.

So, What Does IT Cost?

drupal — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 09:30:50 -0500

In 2004, MIT and Stanford University began the Total Cost of IT project to measure, or at least estimate, the total cost of IT at those two institutions. This bulletin describes the project costing model, processes, and findings and the ways this model can be replicated on other campuses. It explains how to categorize spending, which questions to ask, how to manage and analyze results, and how to extract a meaningful picture of IT spending.

IT Portfolio Management and Accountability in Higher Education

drupal — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 12:24:09 -0500

IT portfolio management at the University of Nebraska is being used to address accountability in the broadest sense: strategic decision-making, project analysis, and performance-based reporting. The practice helps decision makers objectively determine which IT projects or systems should move forward and which ones must wait, when to involve others in the decision-making process, and which resources can help managers reach the best decisions. This research bulletin describes how IT portfolio management is structured and employed at the University of Nebraska.

Facing the Future: Creating a Vital Campus in a Time of Restricted Resources

drupal — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 12:19:14 -0500

All indications show that the next decade will be a period of restricted fiscal resources for most colleges and universities while expenses continue to rise. Perhaps the most critical challenges we face are how we can enhance student learning and maintain or enhance the quality of faculty and staff work-lives in a time of limited resources.

The Value of Teaching and Learning Technology: Beyond ROI

drupal — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 16:25:06 -0500

Measuring the value of an investment instead of dollar-for-dollar return provides a clearer picture of benefits and costs.

Doing More with Less: Finding Solutions That Don't Cost a Bundle

drupal — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 09:42:47 -0600

Budgets are flat, demand is increasing, adding more staff isn't feasible, and cutting support is scary. Learn how Hamilton College adjusted its support models in three key areas (Help Desk, Faculty Support, and Installations) to manage demand without sacrificing customer service.

Server Consolidation: Real People Saving Real Money

drupal — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 09:42:46 -0600

Facing datacenter space and resource constraints, Bowdoin College used new technology to meet current and future needs. Last year, we consolidated over 60 servers onto 9 VMWare hosts, created an extensive R&D environment, and deployed a highly available and resilient financial system, all while saving over $350,000 in hardware costs.

Making Recarding Make Money and Progress in Security

drupal — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 12:58:14 -0600

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will describe how it issued 25,000 new ID cards in a nine-month project, making $2,000,000 in the process. This project also brought together departments across multiple campuses to reduce Social Security number exposure and made progress in enterprise identity management.

E2005 Podcast: Chicken or Egg: IT Services or IT Costs

podcaster — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 18:30:32 -0600

This 40 minute recording provides coverage of the 2005 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference Session entitled Chicken or Egg: IT Services or IT Costs.

E-Learning—A Financial and Strategic Perspective

drupal — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 12:19:05 -0600

Institutions can consider different options in shaping a long-term strategy for achieving acceptable financial returns from e-learning

CHEMA Looks at the Future of Higher Education, 2006

drupal — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 15:59:39 -0600

This survey instrument is part of a project sponsored by CHEMA to look at the future of higher education from the perspective of its members. The project will examine how the executives who lead higher education's support functions anticipate that higher education will change over the next 10 years. It will identify the drivers of change and discuss the types of opportunities and threats these leaders foresee for higher education, their institutions, and their functional areas. The research will look at how some of these forces are creating change across multiple functional areas. To the extent that change is anticipated, we will also examine how prepared institutions are to manage change. Finally, the project will identify areas in which these leaders believe higher education can act to shape its own future. The project will be conducted by a research team from the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR).

Regulatory guidance over deployment of open source software

StuartYeates — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 04:46:17 -0600

IT Director.com has published an article, based largely on an earlier report by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) detailing the risks and benifits of institutional deployment of open source software. While dealing largely with conservative financial institutions, the advice and issues raised are of general applicability. The report concludes:

The use of FOSS by financial institutions does not pose risks that are fundamentally different from those presented by the use of proprietary or self-developed software.However, FOSS adoption and usage necessitates some distinctive risk management practices with which institutions must be familiar.

Government Surveillance Could Cost UAA Millions

drupal — Mon, 12 Dec 2005 15:45:33 -0600

"Big Brother is watching. At least he soon will be if the Federal Communications Commission gets its way. The University of Alask Anchorage could be forced to spend millions to upgrade its computer network so law enforcement can tap into it for court-ordered surveillance if a new decision by the FCC stands."

Chargebacks and Information Technology Funding

drupal — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 09:37:14 -0600

This research bulletin, which draws on research conducted by ECAR in 2004 on the state of information technology funding, examines how higher education uses chargebacks for funding IT. It is based on data from 472 chief information officers and 386 chief financial officers, as well as qualitative interviews and case studies. The bulletin focuses on the pressures that drive change in IT and where and how institutions use IT chargebacks. It also explores some emerging models that may suggest the future for technology chargebacks.

Chicken or Egg: IT Services or IT Costs

drupal — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 12:34:30 -0600

How do you review operational services or activities to verify costs, value, technology, dependencies, and effectiveness? Ongoing operations account for the bulk of the IT budget. Several universities will present how they review and value "running the trains" activities. How do you cost out operational services? Can you quantify customer value? Has the technology changed?

EDUCAUSE Core Data Service: Fiscal Year 2004 Summary Report

drupal — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 10:34:54 -0500

EDUCAUSE Core Data Service Fiscal Year 2004 Summary Report summarizes much of the data collected through the 2004 EDUCAUSE core data survey about campus information technology (IT) environments at 890 colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. The report presents aggregates of data through more than 100 tables and accompanying descriptive text in five areas relevant to planning and managing IT in higher education: IT Organization, Staffing, and Planning; IT Financing and Management; Faculty and Student Computing; Networking and Security; and Information Systems. Appendices include a brief historical context, a list of participating campuses, the 2004 survey instrument, a glossary of terms from the survey, and Carnegie classification definitions.